Fire department donates equipment to Cabo San Lucas firefighters
The Paso Robles City Fire Department recently sent two local firefighter paramedics to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to donate safety equipment and help teach the Cabo San Lucas Volunteer Fire Department firefighters how to use it properly.
Charles Brown and Philip Magri made the trip south to train those departments in firefighter safety.
The Paso Robles Emergency Services Department received a $220,000 grant about a year ago that was used to fund new self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBA) for the department. While this grant was instrumental in helping keep the city’s Emergency Service Department equipment up to date and able to meet code requirements, it left the city with extra equipment that was outdated and no longer passed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.
Fire departments in Mexico do not adhere to the same regulations as the United States, so it was necessary to donate the equipment to another country. The Cabo San Lucas Volunteer Fire Department, whom Charles Brown toured their operation center a few years ago, depends solely on donations and usually operate with a bare minimum of equipment.
The donated equipment will help Cabo San Lucas firefighters equip their volunteers with life-saving protection as the department’s 70 firefighters currently share only seven SCBA packs, leaving them in a dangerous situation when entering a fire without proper protection.
The Paso Robles Fire Department donated 30 packs, 54 bottles, old uniforms and boots.
